Improvement in machines for mowing grass, grain



`UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.,

IRA WHEELER, OF SALEM, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 754, dated May 30,1838. l

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, rIRA WHEELER, of Sa lem, in the county of Rockinghamand State of New Hampshire,V have invented a new and useful Machine forCutting Hay, Grain, Sto.,- called Vheelers Mowing-and Gradling Machine,7 which is described as follows, reference being had to the annexeddrawings of the same, making part of this specification.

The main feature of this machine consists of a cart (without the body)drawn forward by animal-power, to which, on, one side, is suspended aframe containing a horizontallyre volving wheel fixed on a Vverticalaxle armed at the bottom with a number of horizontal scythes for cuttingthe hay, 85o., which, as fast as it is cut, is carried round by fingersand deposited upon a revolving endless apron in the rear of the same,which conveys it off Vat the end of the frame and lays it in windrows 5or, if grain, it is deposited by said apron into a box with a slidingbottom, by which it is dropped in gavels, said frame being raised orlowered, so as to be adapted for the kind cf cutting required, by pinsinserted through posts of the frame into the shafts.

A, Figures 1, 2, 'represents the two cartwheels, fixed permanently onthe axle B, Fig. 2,- and turning upon the ground, on which axle is fixedthe main cog-wheel K, Figs. 2 and 12, for turning the wheel of cuttersor scythes. If the cart-wheels should be made to turn on the axle, thenthe said cog-wheel may be fastened to the face of one of thecart-wheels.

C G are the shafts of the cart, between which the horse is placed fordrawing the machine- D'is a rectangular frame for supporting thewheel-gearing, &c., into which are mortised and tenoned four shortposts, E, Figs. 1 and 2, by which the frame l) is attached to the shaftsC by means of a number of holes made in said posts, with correspondingholesin the shafts, into which are inserted pins pp for raising orlowering the frame to any point desired and holding it fast. Two of saidposts are on one side of the cart and two on the other, the shafts Cbeing on the outside of them. F F F,

three long posts, mortised and tenoned at their lower ends into theframe D, having long tenons G on their upper ends, over which movesanother frame, H, supporting the horizontal axle I of the gearing, Snc.,the long tenons mov: I ing loosely in mortises in said upper frame, so

.that the lower frame andposts, with the moving wheel, may be raised orlowered without disturbing the upper frame and gearing from a horizontalposition. Across the top frame lies the horizontal axle I, on which isfixed a small cog-wheel, J, working into the main cogwheel K, Fig. 12. Avertical bevel-wheel, L, is also, put on this shaft, movablelongitudinally on said axle, but prevented from turn ing on it by atongue, M, on the shaft fitting into a groove in the bevel-wheel. Thisvertical bevel-wheel 'L works into ahorizontal bevel-wheel, N, Figs.land 6, on the vertical shaft O ofthe mowing-wheel, Fig. 1, which isstepped into a box on a cross-piece, P, of the frame, I

the lupper end of said shaft turning ina round aperture in a'block, Q,hung from the underA side of a cross-bar, R, which may be mcvedto theright or left, as required, in case the diamter of the mowing-wheel isto be increased or diminished, said cross-bar being secured at -theplace desired by screws or bolts S. I The last-mentioned bevel-wheel, N,may be raised or lowered on the vertical shaft O by washers or pins z,Fig'. 6, when it is required to raise or lower the mowing-wheel and atthe same time keep the bevel-wheels in gear, said horizontal bevel-wheelbeing prevented from turning on the axle in the same manner as beforedescribed with the horizontal axle-that'is, by a tongue and groove.

On the vertical shaft is constructed the mowing-wheel T. This consistsof two circular heads, U U, fixed permanently 011 said shaft, f

one near the top and the other near the bottom. In these heads are madegrooves radiating from the center, in which are placed arms V, Figs. 1,15,16, drawnout or pushed in and secured at any point desired, accordingto the diameter of the circle required for the sweep ofthe scythes, byscrews or pins 6 7 8, Figs. 1 and 13. To the outer ends of the lowerarms are fastened the scythes or cutters, and at a under side in orderto allow them to pass over spring-catches c', fastened to the upper headof the wheel, or to the upper arms. These spring-catches are for thepurpose of holding the fingers in the rollers in the direction ofthescythes by means ofthe curved levers b, resting against stops d, whileconveying the hay round to the revolving apron a, and when they arrivewith the hay at the revolving apron the hay is met by a set of ngers, e,projecting from the end of an inclined board, f, Figs. 1 and 10, andreceived by them from the'fl'ngers of the rollers, which are at thatmoment thrown back by the impediment caused by the hay lodging againstsaid lingers e, the springj catches .c being pressed down at the sametime by coming in contact with a wheel, g, Figs. 1 and 7, in the end ofan arm', h, projecting down from the top frame, which allows the leversto slide over said catches and turn around against stops i in the head,which arrests them until they arrive at another arm, j, projecting downfrom the top frame, against which they come in contact andere turnedback to their rstdescribed position against the stops inV the head.Behind each roller is a vertical bar, lc, mortised and tenoned into .thearms, from which extend fingers Z on either side to prevent the grass orgrain passing into the center of the mowing-wheel. (See also Fig. 9.)

The first roller, No. 1, Fig. 3, conveying the revolving apron a, isplaced under the edge of the mowing-wheel, and the second, No. 2,revolves parallel to it, in the rear thereof, at a convenient distancetherefrom; The gudgedns of these rollers turn in the side pieces of theframe. The endless apron ais passed around the rollers in the manner ofall such aprons. Under the last-mentioned roller is constructed a box,m, with a sliding bottom, n, Figs. 1 and 3, for receiving the grain fromthe endless apron. This sliding bottom 'is drawn from under the box by'acombination of levers, o p 'q o", Fig. 11, operated by a pin, s, Fig. 1,in the face of a pulley, t, on the horizontal shaft, and is drawn backby a spiral spring, u, Figs. 3, 4, and 11, attached to the slidingbottom and the lower side of the box, the fulcrum being at q and r. (Seealso Fig. 17.)

The endless apron a is turned by means of a pulley, d, Fig. 3, on one ofits ends, and al band, lw, passing around it and leading -to the pulleyjust mentioned on the horizontal axle. (See Figs. 1, 3, and 17.)

The grass or grain is directed onto the revolving apron fromthe'mowing-wheel by means' of the before-mentioned inclined board orguide, f, and fingers in the end thereof, said board being fastened atone end to a post,

f 4, mortised and tenoned into the frame D,

which post is movable, in order toset the v board as desired. Parallelwith said inclined board is another inclined board, x, secured to theboarding or sheathing y, 'between the cartwheels and mowing-wheel.

Fig. 5 represents a circular rim, to be placed upon the upper head whenthe diameter of the mowing-wheel is to be increased.

Operation; The horse moves forward and draws the machine after him, andthe cartwheels being xed upon the axle, the latter is caused to turnwith the1n,which also turns the main cog-wheel xedion it, and thiscogwheel turns the cog-wheel fixed on the end of the horizontal axlewhich turns the vertical bevel-wheel thereon, and this turns thehorizontal bevel-wheel on the mowing-wheel axle, which turns saidmowing-wheel horizontally. This cuts the grass or grain bymeans of thescythes at the ends of the lower radiatingk arms. The lingers in therollers receive the grass or grain, and carry it round somewhat in themanner of a cradle and deliver'it against the fingers in the end of theinclined` guiding-board. The fingers in the rollers at the same timeturn back by the impediment created by the hay, thus lodging againstsaid fingers of the inclined board, the spring-catches being presseddown by the roller as the mowing-wheel revolves, so as to disengage themfrom the curved levers on the ends of the rollers. Then as themowing-wheel continues to revolve, said levers come in Vcontact with theother arm, and are thrown back to their proper positions for againreceiving another cut of grass or grain, which is delivered, asbefore,against the fingers ofthe inclined board, from whence it fallsupon the revolving apron, which delivers it into the box with thesliding bottom, which at every revolution of the pulley is drawn fromunder said box, and drops the grain or grass in windrows or gavels -bymeans of the pin in said pulley moving the combination of leversattached to said sliding bottom, the spring drawing it instantly back toits former position under the box as the pin leaves the levers, therevolving apron being turned by a band passing around said pulley andanother pulley on the end of one of the rollers. When it is required tolower the mowing-wheel, so as to Acause it to. cut nearer to the ground,the pinsare drawn from the holes in the short post of 4the frame andshafts ofthe cart and inserted into other holes inY said posts, and intothe same holes of the shafts, which drops the lower frame andmowing-wheel, the upper frame and gearing remaining in the originalposition, the tenons on the long posts dropping in the mortises in theupper frame, while the Ahorizontal bevelwheel is slipped up on thevertical shaft and retained in gear with the vertical bevel-wheel bymeans of washers or pins. The upper end of the vertical shaft also dropsdown, but its end does not leave the block in which it turns.

` When it is required to increase the diameter of the circle in whichthe cutters are to move, the radiating arms may be drawn or extendedIfrom the center and secured by screws'or pins 6 7 8, and anothercircular rim with springcatches, c, such as that' represented at Fig. 5,put on the top of the upper arms or the springcatches may be secured tothe upper radiating arms andbe drawn out with them, the posiion of thebevel-wheels being also changed, if

forth.

. The invention claimed and desired to be sen cured by Letters Patentconsists in The before-described construction of the Wheel for cuttinggrass, grain, and other articles, and depositing the same upon arevolving apronwhich lays it in windrows or gavels, in combination withthe inclined boards and fingers, box with sliding bottom and levers, andspring for drawing it out and in, as here in set forth, and itis to beunderstood that the parts separately are not claimed, but only their`combination, and in the Wheel the heads and Vertical axle are notclaimed at all.

IRA WHEELER.

Witnesses:

WM. P. ELLIOT, W. Brsnop.

